Time to get this thread started.

Robbo is out (injured) otherwise I'd be sticking with him because I thought he started the game well. I think that is the only forced change (unless you count Towers ).

Hopefully AA comes back in. I would omit Laidler in place of AA. I think Swampy vindicated those of us who supported his selection and will and should be retained.

I'd lean towards keeping Foote and giving him another run. Although not the most skilful he is one of our harder working and harder-at-it players and, as has been observed, he has only played 2 games. I'd keep Florent too - what he needs is the senior players to step up and do their job better and give him more support. He'll be better for the run too - it was his first ever game at AFL level.

Towers however can go. We'll give Edwards a try in his place. Watch the kangaroo run towards the headlights instead of the deer freeze in them (not my line but I like it - I forget who wrote it - another RWOer).

So how to replace Robbo? One option is to bring in Newman, push Mills more midfield and let some other midfielder slide forward. I quite like this but am not sure if it messes around with our structures too much. Perhaps safer is a more straightforward substitution of the best of Fox/Fisher/Ronke/BJ/Rose/Tyrone/Dawson. I don't know which of them is most deserving and ready but figuring that out is what the coaches are for. I think Robbo deserved his place and I'm very sorry he has re-injured himself. At this point I have a fit Robbo ahead of Towers, Cunningham, Foote or Florent which is approaching best 22 status. (I expect Florent to pass him in time.) Harry C perhaps just barely clings on to his spot thanks to the lack of promising alternatives and also not wanting to destabilise things too much with wholesale change.

We need our injured and ailing players back. And we need some more NEAFL action so we can start evaluating which of the next cabs off the rank are readiest and most deserving. I can't wait for COR to get added to this conversation but he needs some NEAFL action before that happens.

If AA is not ready to come back then I am still tempted to substitute Laidler for Melican. It helps that the Bulldogs are taller this year up forward with the arrival of Cloke and return of Crameri. There's not a lot between the Laids and Louis (I rate Laidler a worthy depth player these days - not a list clogger) but I'd rather invest in the future. Perhaps Ludwig would plump for Talia but I think Melican has the runs on the board. Maibaum isn't that far off either.